Switch-stand.



E. N- STROIVI.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JULY3, 1.91s.

1 ,277, 1 50 Panented Aug. 27, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IUIWHIHIH TED sT rns PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE 1v. STROM, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, ASSIGNOR rorn'rrnzonn, MULLIKEN com- PANY, on cnrcneo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION onnnw YoRK.

SWITCH STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Application filed July 3, 1918. Serial Nb. 243,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE N. S'rnoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new, and useful Improvement in Switch-Stands, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates, more particularly, to an improvement in the crank-arm pro vided on the lower end of the targetshaft or spindle'of a switch-stand for attachment to the shaft of the rod which connects the switch with the crank.

This crank-arm has been provided as a relatively weak member to render it frangi b le and therefore susceptible to breakage under the strain of a train forcing its way through a locked switch, when fracture of only the readily replaceable crank ensues,

so that the stand and remainder of the switch-operating mechanism are saved from damage and remain in condition to be speedily restored into operative connection.

It is further known to provide a plurality of these frangible crank-arms on a common center or hub for. attachment to the switchstand spindle, and also to provide analogous projections on the outer end of theconnecting rod-for the same purpose, so that when one becomes broken the connection may be reestablished through another, thereby augmenting accordingly the usefulness of the eccentric connecting medium.

While the advantage of a plurality of these crank-arms on a common hub is manifest, where they are provided to extend for attachment of their outer ends to the con 'nectingrod allin the same planethree at about 90 degrees apartis the limit, since where four are thus provided at intervals of a quarter of a circle, they tend to obstruct requisite extent of deflection of the pivotally swinging connecting-rod in throwing the switch and to thus prevent complete throwing of the latter.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 shows a switch-stand provided with my improvement by a plan View on line 1-1, Fig.

2, or with the cap removed; Fig. 2 shows the same by a View in elevation, but with the weightedoperating lever omitted; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. l, but showing the crank of the compoundanotion mechanism of the illustrated switch stand in a midway position between throws, while it is shown inFig. l in its position at the end of a throw; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved multiple crank-arm device, and Fig. 5 is a brokenv plan view illustrating a modification of the crank-arm construction for weakening it.

. The switch-stand represented at 6 is that ofUnited States Letters Patent to Maury I/V. Hibbard, No. 718,348, dated January 1, 1903, which has been selected for illustrating the application of my present improvement, although the latter is applicable with the same advantage to, the target-shaft 7 or spindle of any switch-stand.

My improved device comprises, in the preferred form thereof illustrated, a central hub 8 adapted to receive the lower end of the shaft, to which. it is secured, as by a bolt or pin 9 passed through a hole 10 in the hub and through the shaft, and four crank-arms radiating from it at equal distances apart. Each of these arms is relatively, weak at its junction with the hub, or it may be thus weakened by forming it with a hole 11 near such junction, as represented in Fig; .5. From the outer expanded ends of two alining arms 12 and 13 extend, parallel with each other and in one direction, studs 14; and from the similar ends of the other two aliningarms 12" and 13"- extend, parallel with each other but in the opposite direction, studs 14 With the multiple crank-arm device in its operative position, as represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the connecting rod 15 is shown to be applied to the stud 13. .If then a train passes through the switch when in locked vcondition, that arm will break on at its junction with the hub (or at the hole 11, if provided, as represented in Fig. 5, for the weakening purpose), without otherwise damaging the switclrstand or its connections. By then taking the hub off the shaft and re-setting it thereon to cause the arm 12 to occupy the position previously occupied by the arm 13, the rod 15 may be readily applied to the'stud on the arm 12 and the switch-operating mechanism thus speedily restored to operative condition. Should the arm 12 then be .brokenofi'yon removing the hub the device is re-set in'inverted position to bring one .or. the other of the arms 12*, 13 nto connectin -rod 15; and ifthat arm thereafter becomes broken the hub may be removed and reset to bring the remaining arm into the proper position for attaching the connecting-rod to its stud. a

As will thus be seen, by my improvement as many as four frangible crank-arms may be provided on the onehub, though it is within my invention to provide only two at 90 degrees apart with their studs extending in relatively opposite directions as is represented, say, of'the arms 12 and 12, or three with the studs on two of them extending in one direction, as is represented, say, of the arms 12 and 13, and the stud on the third, asthe arm 13, extending in the relatively opposite direction. It will be understood, moreover, that the studs are to all intents and purposes integral parts of the arms for bringing their outer ends into. the plane of the end of the connecting-rod to be attached thereto, so that it is intended to include as within my invention any manner of forming a plurality of the crank-arms on a' hub with their outer ends provided with pivots, whether by studs or otherwise, to extend in successively opposite directions to bring those ends, by inverting the hub on the shaft and re-setting, as described, each into the same position for attachment thereto of the connecting-rod.

It'will furthermore be apparent that with the four arms thus projecting successively in relatively opposite directions at intervals of 90 degrees, thethrow of the connectingrod can not be obstructed by encountering the arm next adjacent the one to which the connecting-rod is attached.

The arms 12 and 13 are shown in the drawings to be slightly offset relatively to the arms 12 and 13 This is to afford clearance for the connecting-rod, in throwing the switch, to prevent its under surface from rubbing frictionally against the top surface of the next arm.

I claim: I

1. A multiple crank-arm device for switch-stands, comprising a hub having a plurality of frangible crank-arms extending from it with pivots on their outer ends for attachment of a switch connecting-rod, said pivots successively projecting in relatively opposite directions.

'2. A multiple crank-arm device for switch-stand shafts, comprising a hub hav-.

ing a plurality of frangible crank-arms extending from it with studs on their outer ends, for attachment of a switch connecting rod, said studs successively projecting in relatively opposite directions.

3. A multiple crank-arm device for Gopiea of this patent may be obtained for switch-stand shafts, comprising a hub having four frangible arms radiating from it in spaced relation to each other, two of said arms being in alinement and having studs on their outer ends, for attachment of a switch connecting-rod, projecting in one direction and the remaining arms being in alinement and extending at right-angles to the first-named arms and having studs on their outer ends projecting in the direction opposite that of the first-named studs.

4;. A multiple crank-arm device for switch-stand shafts, comprising a hub having four frangible arms radiating from it in spaced relation to each other, two of said arm being in alinement and having studs on their outer ends, for attachment of a switch-comiecting rod, projecting in one direction and the remaining arms being in alinement and extending at right-angles to the first-named arms and having studs on their outer-ends projecting in the direction opposite that of the first-named studs, and each pair of alining arms being offset with relation to the other pair.

5. In combination with the shaft of a switch-stand, a hub removably secured to said shaft and having a plurality offrangible crank-arms radiating from it at intervals, with their outer-end portions successively projecting in relatively opposite directions to adapt them, by removing the device from and re-adjusting and resetting it in inverted position on the shaft, each to be set to extend in the same plane for attachment to the switch connecting-rod.

6. In combination with the shaft of a switch-stand, a hub removably secured to said shaft and having four frangible crankarms radiating therefrom at 90 degree intervals, two of said arms being in alinement and having parallel upwardly projecting studs on their outer ends, and the remaining arms being in alinement at right-angles to the first-named arms and having parallel downwardly projecting studs on their outer ends.

7 In combination with the shaft of a switch-stand, a hub removably secured to said shaft and having four frangible crank arms radiating therefrom at 90 degree in-' tervals, two of said arms being in alinement and having parallel upwardly projecting studs'on their outer ends, and the remaining arms being in alinement at right-angles to the first-named arms and having parallel downwardly projecting studs on their outer ends, each pair of said alining arms being offset with relation to the other pair.

EUGENE N. STROM.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

